Wednesday, September 30, 2015

When the new team up comic Harley's Little Black Book releases in December, it will be accompanied with a number of Harley Quinn themed variant covers on other books. These variant books will come in a black poly bag and will contain either a full color version of the cover, an inked black and white cover or a penciled cover. You won't know which one you get until you open the bag, or you can keep it sealed for collectabilities sake. More Details:

Last week at the the Diamond Retailer Summit, we talked about DC's

Polybag art by Amanda Conner

themed variant covers for December and HARLEY'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK. Here are some of the most frequent questions, and our answers...

"What's the story with HARLEY'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK?"

You like Harley Quinn, right? Sell a lot of copies? In December, DC Entertainment is launching a new, bimonthly, extra-sized team-up series called HARLEY'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK! It's written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, with art mostly by Amanda plus a few friends, and a cover by Amanda.

In issue #1, Harley learns of a plot to assassinate Wonder Woman-and Harley is convinced that only she can stop it! What could possibly go wrong?

This issue also features a 1:25 variant cover by Amanda Conner.

HARLEY'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK #1 (OCT150151) is solicited in the October Previews and is scheduled to arrive in stores on December 2.

"What's up with the variant covers for December?"

Ten of DC's key titles will have Harley-themed, open-to-order variant covers in December by some of comics' top artists. These variant covers will be shipped in opaque polybags.

Here's where things get interesting. These variant covers will be shipped in three versions: One features the finished, full-color artwork. The second features just the inked art in black and white. The third features just the pencil artwork, also in black and white.

The polybags feature each series' logo, as seen in the October Previews.

The only way to know which version of each variant you are getting is to open the polybags! Or you could keep them sealed and let your customers find out which version they're getting on their own.

Monday, September 28, 2015

“Looks like somebody’s beginning to take an interest in your handiwork.”

–Han Solo

Pursue a criminal mastermind across the galaxy in Mask of the Pirate Queen, a book-length adventure for the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire roleplaying game! When a powerful smuggling conglomerate offers you a tremendous bounty for their nefarious rival, the Pirate Queen, you embark on a dangerous hunt full of illegal deeds, interstellar battles, and underworld intrigues. Mask of the Pirate Queen can easily be integrated into an ongoing Edge of the Empire campaign or used as the launching point for a series of smuggling or bounty hunting escapades.

96 pages

_____________________________________________________________

FFGSWF24

Star Wars: Force and Destiny: Keeping the Peace: A Sourcebook for Guardians

$29.95 SRP

SDI

“For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.”

–Obi-Wan Kenobi

Fight for justice with Keeping the Peace, a sourcebook for Guardians in the Star Wars: Force and Destiny Roleplaying Game. In a galaxy ravaged by injustice and war, Guardians use the Force to make a positive difference in the lives of others, heal the galaxy’s wounds, and establish peace wherever possible.

This career supplement introduces new species, specializations, signature abilities, and a new Force power that provide Guardians incomparable tools and talents to use as they protect the downtrodden, establish order, and even lead troops into war.

96 pages

_____________________________________________________________

FFGSWC24

Star Wars LCG: Solo’s Command Force Pack

$14.95 SRP

SDI

“It’s only a few guards. This shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

–Han Solo, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: The Card Game recalls the climax of Return of the Jedi with the Solo’s Command Force Pack and the Endor cycle!

As the Empire constructs its second Death Star, a small strike team descends to Endor to eliminate the shield generator and open the way for an assault. Meanwhile, attack and defense are revolutionized with the introduction of mission cards – objectives played from your hand that offer powerful benefits when destroyed. New fate cards amplify edge battle tensions, and the return of neutral sets offers new tools to every affiliation.

FFGADN30

Android Netrunner LCG: Kala Ghoda Data Pack

$14.95 SRP

SDI

“Clones are not people. The outcomes of our elections must recognize this truth.”

–Raman Rai, V.P. of Jinteki India

Kala Ghoda is the first Data Pack in the Mumbad Cycle for Android: Netrunner, which introduces players to the future of the Indian Union, the planet’s most populous democracy and generally a hopeful, dynamic place. Now, as elections draw near, the I.U. is torn by a single, heated question: should clones be granted full citizenship?

Sixty new cards (including a complete play set of nineteen different cards) explore this question and the political turmoil it raises, even as Jinteki pulls out all the stops to make sure their most lucrative product remains just that: a product.

FFGMEC44

Lord of the Rings LCG: The Dread Realm Adventure Pack

$14.95 SRP

SDI

“It was at the beginning of the reign of Malvegil of Arthedain that evil came to Arnor. For at that time the realm of Angmar arose in the North beyond the Ettenmoors. Its lands lay on both sides of the Mountains, and there were gathered many evil men, and Orcs, and other fell creatures.”

–J.R.R. Tolkien, “The North-kingdom and the Dúnedain”

Your adventures in the tainted North of Middle-earth approach their climactic conclusion with the new scenario from The Dread Realm!

The sixth and final Adventure Pack in the Angmar Awakened cycle of Adventure Packs for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, The Dread Realm challenges you to make a final push through the cold, unhallowed halls of Carn Dûm, the very source of the North kingdom’s greatest evils. In addition to its scenario, The Dread Realm introduces a new Spirit hero and three copies each of twenty-seven player cards.

FFGGT02

A Game of Thrones LCG 2nd Edition: Taking the Black Chapter Pack

$14.95 SRP

SDI

Under the wounded pride, Will could sense something else in the older man. You could taste it; a nervous tension that came perilous close to fear.

–George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Revisit the first pages of A Game of Thrones with Taking the Black, the first Chapter Pack in the Westeros cycle for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game.

As the Westeros cycle focuses on the first book of George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy saga, Taking the Black introduces such iconic characters as Renly Baratheon, the Hound, and Maester Luwin. Four brand-new plot cards – two neutral and two faction-specific – dramatically expand your deck-building options, and every faction gains cards to support its innate strengths. Begin your journey to the Iron Throne!

FFGWHK11

Warhammer 40,000: Conquest LCG: Deadly Salvage War Pack

$14.95 SRP

SDI

“A swarm of mechanised locusts sweeping over the land, stripping it bare of resources, bringing death and destruction to anything that stands in its path. Emperor preserve us against the predations of these so-called Orkish Cults of Speed.”

–Cardinal Nomura at the Conclave of Hessen

Ride out of the wastelands with a warband of scavenger Orks in Deadly Salvage, the third War Pack in the Planetfall cycle for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest!

Its new cards continue to add meaning to the planet type symbols that support your faction’s goals. Additionally, Deadly Salvage introduces new army units, supports, attachments, and events for every faction, including the Tyranids. Meanwhile, a new Ork warlord allows you to change the fundamentals of deck-building and uncover completely new decks. Explore new boundaries and claim the Traxis sector as Deadly Salvage!

The year is 1336. Japan’s emperor has lost all authority and is little more than a figurehead. Across the country, powerful lords called daimyo have risen up and begun to claim dominion over the land and its resources. But all true paths to power depend upon the service of the elite, noble warriors known as samurai.

Samurai is a classic tile placement game by Reiner Knizia and set in feudal Japan. Two to four players assume the roles of ambitious daimyo competing for control of the nation. To rise above your rivals and influence the nation’s cities and villages to your cause, you must prove you can lead their people. Through the strategic placement of tiles, you can establish your sway over lesser lords, the production of rice, and the region’s religious leaders. Sometimes, though, even these won't be enough to establish your dominance, and to cement your claim, you must send in your samurai.

This edition of Samurai maintains the game’s original mechanics while updating it with beautifully sculpted game pieces, new leader tokens to aid in scoring, and all-new art and graphic design that draw upon traditional Japanese styles. Travel back to a Japan being torn asunder by warring clans. Prove you have the wisdom to garner the esteem of the samurai, and you will unite a nation!

2-4 players

Ages 14+

30-60 minute play time

FFGVA95

Mafia: Vendetta

$12.95 SRP

SDI

She knew she seemed innocent. She worked hard at it. She had morning coffee with other moms, walked her son home from school, made dinner every night. But she was far more than a good mom and housewife. She was part of the Mafia, a ruthless and cunning murderer. The whole town ought to be afraid of her, but no one suspected her at all.

The mob reigns supreme in Mafia: Vendetta, a party game of bluffing, intrigue, and murder! Seven to seventeen players take on secret roles as civilians seeking to eliminate crime or as Mafia members stealthily eliminating their enemies. Only one team can control the city, and only the Mafia knows for certain who is on their team. Rounds alternate between night, when the Mafia commits its dark deeds, and day, when the civilians hunt down the secret criminals in their midst.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Pricing of out of print RPGs can be all over the place, especially for those produced by smaller companies or that are long out of print. Case in point, the first edition of the Chill RPG from Pacesetter Games. Four sellers have the book by itself and the boxed set listed on Amazon for between $7000 to $9000. I have a copy in stock I will happily sell your for $100. That's a 98% discount. What a deal!

An even better example of the vagaries in pricing on RPG books is the Batman Soutcebook for Mayfair Games DC Heroes RPG, published back in 1987. One set of sellers has the book priced from $4 to $10 for a used copy, while another group has the same book in conditions ranging from "Good" to "Like New" at prices ranging from $38 to $66. And here's the 1st edition of the Paranoia RPG, with prices ranging from $60 to $550. Unlike RPGS from TSR, which have a fairly consistent price range, prices on other RPGs appear to get set at whatever the sell things they can get.

Friday, September 25, 2015

Looney Labs will release an updated version of its Eco Fluxx game, retitled Nature Fluxx in November:

Street Date: November 6th!

LOO-071

Nature Fluxx

$16.00 SRP

Nature Fluxx - The nature game with rules that change like the weather!

In the wild, you have to adapt to survive. Grown from the seeds of EcoFluxx, Nature Fluxx is ready to take root in the game libraries of gamers all over the world. Full of rules that are constantly changing, Nature Fluxx has players constantly adapting and evolving - just like in nature!

Nature Fluxx is the next evolution of EcoFluxx. It maintains the same cards and gameplay, but updates the card frame art and packaging. Full of plants and elements and things-that-eat-other-things, Nature Fluxx will remind and teach everyone about the wonders of nature (all while playing an all-natural game of Fluxx)!

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

In
the not too distant future, the government is run for profit by a new
“royal class” of multi-national CEOs. Their greed and absolute control
of the economy has reduced all but a privileged few to lives of poverty
and desperation. Out of the oppressed masses rose a rebellion, an
underground organization focused on overthrowing these powerful rulers.
The valiant efforts of the rebels have created discord, intrigue and
weakness in the political courts of the noveau royal, bringing the
government to brink of collapse. But for you, a powerful government
official, this is your opportunity to manipulate, bribe and bluff your
way into absolute power.

To
be successful, you must destroy the influence of your rivals and drive
them into exile. In these turbulent times there is only room for one to
survive.

G54
uses the same lightning fast rules found in Coup - claim, counter,
challenge and bluff - and then adds an exciting strategic layer via
character selection.

Before
each game starts, five character roles are chosen randomly from 25
different cards. Each of the five characters has a unique ability - the
combination of abilities and interplay between them makes each game
unique. This allows for over 5,000 different ways to play the game!

Coup: Rebellion G54 is a stand-alone game and does not require Coup to play.

2-6 players

Ages 12+

IBCONR1

One Night Revolution

$24.99 SRP

Everything
has led to this night. Years of fighting and political intrigue have
culminated in a single mission that will bring the empire to its knees.
Your cell has been hand selected to complete this mission but you live
in fear that your ranks have been infiltrated.

With
only minutes to act, you must use the information gained during the
night to identity and assassinate a spy. But be careful, you can never
be certain how many spies your group contains, nor can you trust that
your own motivations won’t be swayed by nefarious means.

One
Night Revolution is a super-fast game of secret identities for 3 to 10
players that combines all the deductive and chaotically fun elements of
the One Night Ultimate Werewolf series with more structured game play.
The result is a very addictive game that is easy to learn and will be
played over and over again.

Every
player starts with a specialist role and an ID (either Government
Informant or Rebel Fighter). At night, the Informants reveal themselves
to one another - assuming any exist, that is, as at all player counts
between zero and three Informants are in play - then all players
complete their specialist action in a clockwise. Specialist actions
include gathering information, switching roles, and helping players in
their attempt to identify the Informant(s) before the day is over. If a
majority of players identify an Informant, the Rebels wins but if the
Informant(s) remain hidden, they win!

Monday, September 21, 2015

Two weeks ago I posted a column listing 7 questions I wanted to try to get
answered at the upcoming Alliance Open House. I forgot about the one I had for
Steve Jackson Games, sorry about that guys, and only part of my WizKids’
question came up during the hour long conversation I had with Justin Ziran of
WizKids on Saturday night. Also, I forgot to ask Chris Parmas of Green Ronin
Publishing about the possibility of signed copies of Titansgrave, so if anyone
from either Steve Jackson Games and/or Green Ronin Publishing reads this and
wants to send in answers, I and ICV2 will happily take them. On with the
answered questions

WOTC--What about your catalog of boardgame titles? When
I asked this at the WOTC booth, they introduced me to the Avalon Hill brand
manager, whose product portfolio is most of the back stock of boardgames the
company owns, and said WOTC did have plans to revitalize and revisit the Avalon
Hill catalog in 2016 but were vague on what those plans actually were. So, at
least the company will look at them.

2. Fantasy Flight Games—Was there anything in the X-wing
Core Set sold exclusively at Target to drive customers to game stores?The FFG rep during their workshop did not
know but another retailer said that the box had a flyer inside showing other
ships and indicating they were available. Unfortunately, despite the popularity
of their products, Fantasy Flight Games does not have a retailer locater on
their website, so no way to include one in the box.

3.General in-stock of games from companies like Fantasy
Flight Games, Days, of Wonder, Z-man Games and Plaid Hat Games over the
upcoming holidays. All of these companies have a track record of running out of
product midway through the holiday season. This year, they assured me, enough
product is in the pipeline to make certain stores will have enough stock for everyone.
Huzzah

4.WizKids Organized Play software?Forgot to ask about this during the
conversation mentioned above. However, Ziran did indicate WizKids had no plans
to put a earlier date into place for stores to sell off older OP support.
However, he did say nothing in the agreement stores have with WizKids precludes
them from using the OP product for other purposes, such as prizes for casual
events or as a premium for purchasing other product, say buying a Star Trek
Attack Wing ship and getting one of the OP tournament blind booster boxes as a
premium. Stores just cannot sell them outright.

5. Plaid Hat Games—Out of stocks and expansions?See the answer to question 3 for the answer
to the out of stock question. As far as expansions, I gathered no plans for any
at this time.

6.Steve
Jackson Games—As noted above, I forgot to ask about the Evil Stevie plushies,
but it did come up in other conversation that the Guest Artist Munchkin sets
would come out in celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of the game, just in
case those who bought a copy 15 years ago might find their copy just a wee bit
worn out.

7.And
finally, Green Ronin—Fantasy Age? Titansgrave? Both games sold out at GenCon
but stores should see them coming through distribution in late September. As
noted above, I forgot to ask about a signed limited edition of Titansgrave but,
Green Ronin, that would be tres cool.

Monday, September 14, 2015

The Galactic Connections game from Topp's has all the earmarks of a “You
guys make collectable trading cards, right? Here, make us a Star Wars game, get
it in the store really fast and give people some reason to collect and keep
buying it. “ Topp’s, knowing a good deal when they hear it ( I knew a
manufacturer who once said that he could put tables of trash in the main aisle
of a Wal-mart and, due to their customer traffic, it would sell), likely jumped
at the offer, though their track record with trading card games isn’t that
great.Anyone remember Monsuno? Came out
from Topps in 2012 and died, oh about 2012.

Topp’s though may not be great in trading card games but the
collectability of trading cards and the creation of chase items, now at that
they are great.Galactic Connections
comes with common discs, uncommon ones, rare ones, ultra rare ones, ultra ultra
rare ones, ultra ultra ultra rarer ones and the rarest of all, the 14K gold
Slave Leia disc, plus discs only available at specific stores. All this while
ignoring the basic driver behind collectable games these days, Organized Play
and a place to run it. Wal-mart has not hosted an Organized Play program for
any trading card game since the original Pokemon boom back in the 1990’s when
Wal-mart stores actually did host Pokemon tournaments. In order to keep any
trading whatever game viable these days, a company almost has to have an OP
program in place. Not a whisper of one for Galactic Connections.

Possibly the plan is to reach out to the Local Gaming Store
and ask it to host tournaments. I
remember years ago a company launched a trading card game with product only available
in the mass market. The business model was to have the mass market, who buys
and moves a lot of product, sell the game to players and the local gaming store
got to run the tournaments. The plan, as the company saw it, was that store
hosted tournaments would draw players in who would pay tournament fees and buy
snacks and other products while in the store. A win-win for everyone, in the
eyes of whomever developed this plan. Needless to say, stores did not embrace
this idea, figuring their time better spent hosting tournaments and otherwise
promoting products they could sell in the store, rather than giving customers a
reason to buy more stuff elsewhere. Yep, that was a winning business plan.

I expect Galactic Connections to do decently for Wal-mart
and but not gangbusters, so no OP program put in place at the store and, once
the movie hype dies down, so will interest in the game.

Friday, September 11, 2015

AEG announced today it was selling the venerable Legend of the Five Ring RPG and trading card game to Fantasy Flight Games:

For twenty years, Legend of the Five Rings has held a unique place among
Collectible Card Games (CCGs). It is not only one of the oldest around, it
stands out by being driven by its story...a story that has, in turn, been driven
by legions of devoted fans. We at AEG are thankful beyond words to all of the
awesome people who have made these past two decades so special for the CCG and
that most definitely includes you, our valued retail partners.
The time comes, however, when any healthy enterprise has to take a step back and look
hard and critically at itself. We've now reached that time in the life of the
L5R Brand. The focus of AEG has progressively shifted toward other types of
games over recent years, so, after some hard and detailed analysis (and, yes,
some deep soul-searching), we've concluded that it's time to start a new chapter
in the story of L5R. Accordingly, the upcoming Evil Portents expansion for the
CCG, and the �Atlas of Rokugan� for the RPG, will be the final products for L5R
produced by AEG. The L5R Brand will continue under a new owner, Fantasy Flight
Games (FFG). We believe that the good folks at FFG, some of whom have themselves
been involved with the L5R Brand for many years, will do an excellent job of
carrying the L5R Brand and the story of Rokugan on into its next twenty years.
Fantasy Flight Games anticipates that its first L5R product will be a relaunch
of the card game as a Living Card Game (LCG), with a debut event at Gen Con
2017.
Of course, your most immediate concern is likely to be, what about L5R
card game stock I currently have in my inventory? How am I going to realize any
value from it? Well, we�ve anticipated this, and will be offering to you the
last AEG expansion of the CCG, Evil Portents, essentially for free. We hope this
will help you to leverage sales of your remaining L5R product. More details
about this will be provided to you in the coming days.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

College Park, MD - September 10, 2015
Looney Labs is thrilled to announce the newest, out-of-this-world
version of Fluxx: Firefly Fluxx! Join Mal, Wash, Zoë, Inara, Kaylee,
Jayne, Simon, River, Book, and more as Fluxx enters the 'Verse at full
speed. With the rules constantly changing, Firefly Fluxx is just as
unpredictable as misbehaving in space!
"We love the adventures of
the crew of the Serenity," stated Andy Looney, Chief Creative Officer
of Looney Labs "and welcoming them into the Fluxx 'Verse has been
wonderful. It's a natural fit, as both Mal and Fluxx players have to
constantly adapt the rules in order to win!"
"We are excited to
introduce the Browncoat Nation to Firefly Fluxx. We have been playing
Fluxx for years and this version of the card game with ever-changing
rules will not disappoint" says John Kovaleski of Gale Force Nine. "It's
fast, fun, and Shiny!"
A game of strategy, skill, and the luck
of the draw, Firefly Fluxx echoes the aesthetics of the futuristic
western. Featuring sumptuous art by Adam Levermore, Firefly Fluxx is
perfect for fans and collectors of both Firefly and Fluxx! Firefly Fluxx
will be in stores in early 2016, with an MSRP of $20.